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Discovering Earth's Rotation and Orbit in Kindergarten

Kat Diez Canseco
Kindergarten students are exploring the mysteries of the solar system in their science class. Mrs. Stephanie Cook, their teacher, is guiding her students to discover how the Earth moves and is giving them a deeper understanding of the world around them.
As the lesson begins, the students learn about the Earth's rotation on its axis and its orbit around the sun. Mrs. Cook poses the question: "How long does it take for the Earth to rotate once on its axis?" she asks, "24 hours!" replies the class. The students have already begun to grasp the concept that one rotation of the Earth equals one day.

Next, the class delves into the world of orbits. learning that it takes 365 days for the Earth to complete one orbit around the sun, which equals one year. But that's not all – Mrs. Cook dives into the concept of the Earth's tilt, explaining that our planet isn't straight up and down. This tilt is responsible for the changing seasons, causing summer and winter as the Earth moves around the sun. As the students learn this new information, they begin to understand the intricate relationship between the Earth and the sun.

With this new knowledge, the young scientists are now ready to describe how the Earth rotates on its axis, how long it takes for one rotation and one orbit, and the role of the Earth's tilt in creating different seasons. From the classroom to the world of Earth science, they've taken their first steps towards becoming orbit experts - one spin at a time!
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.